The passenger capacity of a car that you can drive depends on your driver's license. If you have a regular license or a semi-medium license, you can drive a car with a seating capacity of 10 people or less. If you want to drive a car that can carry more people, one way is to obtain a ``medium-sized license,'' which allows you to drive a car that can carry more than twice as many people as a semi-medium-sized license.
In this article, we will explain the cars you can drive with a medium-sized license and how to obtain one. We will also explain the difference between the cost of attending a driving school and obtaining Driving Camp, so if you are considering obtaining a medium-sized driver's license, please read on.
The maximum number of passengers for a medium-sized license is 29 people.
With the enforcement of the revised Road Traffic Act on June 2, 2007, a medium-sized license was newly established as an intermediate position between a regular license and a large-sized license. With a medium-sized license, you can drive a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of 5 tons or more and less than 11 tons, a maximum payload of 3 tons or more and less than 6.5 tons, and a passenger capacity of 11 to 29 people.
| Type of driving license | Vehicle total weight | Maximum loading capacity | Riding capacity |
| Ordinary license | Less than 5 tons | Less than 3 tons | 10 people or less |
| Medium license | 5 tons or more but less than 11 tons | 3 tons or more but less than 6.5 tons | 11 to 29 people |
| large license | 11 tons or more | 6.5 tons or more | 30 people or more |
Before the law was revised, microbuses could be driven with a regular driver's license because they had a gross vehicle weight of less than 8 tons, a maximum load capacity of less than 5 tons, and a passenger capacity of 11 to 29 people. However, due to a change in the law, microbuses are now treated as medium-sized vehicles, so they can no longer be driven with a regular license.
Therefore, if you want to drive a microbus after the law was revised, you will need a medium-sized license.
Difference between medium-sized license and semi-medium-sized license
With the enforcement of the revised Road Traffic Act on March 12, 2017, semi-medium-sized vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tons or more and less than 7.5 tons, a maximum load capacity of 2 tons or more and less than 4.5 tons, and a passenger capacity of 10 or less were newly established. . The semi-medium vehicle license was established in response to requests from the logistics industry, which is suffering from a serious labor shortage, in order to secure young drivers.
| Type of car | Driver's license | Vehicle total weight | Maximum loading capacity | Riding capacity |
| semi-medium car | Semi-medium license | 3.5 tons or more but less than 7.5 tons | 2.0 tons or more but less than 4.5 tons | 10 people or less |
| medium size car | Medium license | 7.5 tons or more but less than 11 tons | 4.5 tons or more but less than 6.5 tons | 11 to 29 people |
A medium license allows you to drive a vehicle less than 11 tons. On the other hand, a semi-medium vehicle license only allows you to drive a vehicle that weighs less than 7.5 tons, and the conditions for obtaining it are different.
| Acquisition conditions | Semi-medium license | Medium license |
| age | 18+ | Over 20 years old |
| License period | Unnecessary | More than 2 years after obtaining a license |
| eyesight |
|
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| deep vision | Average error is less than 2 cm | |
| Color Identification | Be able to distinguish between red, blue, and yellow. | |
| hearing | A warning tone of 90 decibels can be heard at a distance of 10 meters. | |
| Exercise capacity | Must have no physical disability or illness that may interfere with driving | |
Anyone over the age of 18 can take the semi-medium driver's license as long as they meet certain standards such as eyesight and hearing. However, in the case of a medium-sized driver's license, you must be over 20 years old and have at least two years of experience with another driver's license to take the test.
How to obtain a medium-sized license
You can obtain a medium-sized driver's license by attending a driving school, participating in a training camp, or taking a one-shot test. Each license has a different acquisition period and cost, so choose the method that suits you best.
attend a driving school
You can obtain a medium-duty license by graduating from a driving school and passing the test at a driver's license center. The number of time limits for academic training and Driving Lessons for those with a regular license are as follows.
| Driving license you own | academic training | Driving Lessons |
| Regular license (MT) | 1 period | 15th period |
| Normal AT limited license | 1 period | 19th period |
Since a regular AT limited license requires the restriction to be lifted, Driving Lessons period is set longer than a regular AT license (MT).
The main contents of Driving Lessons are as follows.
- S-shaped course
- crank course
- Stopping and starting at the roadside
- Entering a road, etc.
For the on-site Final Driving Test, either change direction or parallel park. In addition, the driving school has a training deadline for each driver's license you obtain. The training period for a medium-sized driver's license is 9 months from the date the training begins.
Participate in a training camp
A training camp is a method of staying at a lodging facility for a certain period of time, receiving intensive training, and obtaining a driver's license. You can receive lessons efficiently because you can proceed with lessons according to a predetermined timetable.
The training hours for both academic and Driving Lessons are the same as for commuting to school. At a training camp, you can receive lessons all at once in a short period of time, so you can graduate faster than attending school. When commuting to school, it typically takes about ten days to graduate. On the other hand, with training camps, you can aim to graduate in as little as eight days.
take a one-shot test
In addition to commuting to school or training camp, there are other ways to obtain a medium-sized driver's license by taking a one-shot test. A one-shot test is a method of taking the test directly at a driver's license center without using a driving school or training camp. Medium-sized cars are larger than regular cars, so they require more advanced techniques.
It is very difficult to pass the test without taking lessons, and it is not a realistic way to obtain a medium-sized driver's license for the first time. If you fail, you will be charged a test fee and test vehicle usage fee each time you retake the test. If you want to obtain a medium-sized driver's license efficiently and safely, taking lessons at a driving school or training camp may be a quicker route.
This article provides a thorough comparison of the costs of attending classes and attending a training camp. It also introduces the average costs by area, so if you're interested, be sure to check it out.
Regular licenses obtained before June 1, 2007 are considered to be 8-ton limited medium licenses.
The revised Road Traffic Act went into effect on June 2, 2007, and medium-sized vehicles and medium-sized licenses were newly established. Before the law was revised, a regular driver's license allowed you to drive a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of less than 8 tons and a maximum payload of less than 5 tons. However, due to amendments to the law, the vehicles that can be driven with a regular license have been changed to vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of less than 5 tons and a maximum payload of less than 3 tons.
In response to this, ordinary licenses obtained before the law was revised will be replaced with medium-sized licenses limited to 8 tons. The 8-ton limited license is positioned between a regular license and a medium-sized license.
| Type of driving license | Before law revision | After law revision |
| Ordinary license |
|
|
| 8 ton limited medium license | none |
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| Medium license | none |
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People who obtained a regular driver's license before the law was revised can continue to drive a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of less than 8 tons and a maximum payload of less than 5 tons even after the law is revised. It is possible to obtain a medium-sized license by passing the cancellation examination for the 8-ton limited license.
If you want to get a medium-sized license, which is cheaper: going to a driving school or getting Driving Camp?
There is no difference in training hours or content between commuting to a driving school and training camp. However, you may be able to save money by attending a training camp.
If attending a driving school
The acquisition cost varies depending on the type of driver's license you hold.
| Driving license you own | Market price of acquisition cost |
| Ordinary license | About 200,000 yen |
| 5 ton limited semi-medium license (MT) | About 170,000 yen |
| Semi-medium license | About 150,000 yen |
| Limited release | About 100,000 yen |
There is a difference of about 50,000 yen between a regular license and a semi-medium license. The average acquisition cost will be higher the further your driver's license is from a medium-sized license.
In case of participation in training camp
The average cost for participating in the training camp is as follows:
| Driving license you own | Market price of acquisition cost |
| Ordinary license | About 180,000 yen |
| 5 ton limited semi-medium license (MT) | About 160,000 yen |
| Semi-medium license | About 150,000 yen |
| Limited release | About 130,000 yen |
If you have a regular driver's license or a 5-ton semi-medium license (MT), it will be about 10,000 to 20,000 yen cheaper than commuting. On the other hand, training camps are more expensive for semi-medium licenses and limited licenses.
In addition to the training fee, the training camp fee also includes lodging and food expenses. Therefore, if you look only at the cost of training, there are cases where training camps are more economical than commuting to school. Also, the acquisition costs introduced above are just average prices. Prices vary depending on the driving school, so be sure to check in advance.
Understand the characteristics of medium-sized licenses and get the license that suits your purpose.
The medium-sized driver's license is a relatively new driver's license that was newly established under the revised Road Traffic Act that came into effect on June 2, 2007. If you currently have a regular license, obtaining a medium-sized license will expand the range of cars you can drive.
In addition, the transportation industry is experiencing a serious shortage of drivers, so having a medium-sized driver's license may be advantageous when changing jobs. When obtaining a medium-sized driver's license, we recommend using a driving school if it is your first time. There are two options: commuting to school and training camp, so please consider comparing the time and cost to obtain the certification.
